Wetumpka Depot presents the off-Broadway comedy Popcorn Falls
The Wetumpka Depot Players will present the uproarious comedy "Popcorn Falls" by James Hindman in its Watt Jones Jr auditorium, January 27 through February 12.
"Popcorn Falls is a perfect introduction to directing for the Depot stage. This fast-paced melodramatic farce, with a cast of (seemingly!) thousands played by two veteran actors, is as much fun for us as it will be for the audiences," said director Cushing Phillips. "Jeff Langham and Kim Mason are bringing these characters to life with charm and dignity — always a difficult task — and a lot of laughs. It is always a joy to watch actors find themselves, and these two are bringing the joy for sure."
Performances are Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday February 6 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 and are on sale now at wetumpkadepot.com.
The small town of Popcorn Falls is bankrupt. Its only tourist attraction, the Falls, has dried up, and it’s about to be taken over by an unfeeling corporation who will turn the whole place into a sewage plant. There’s only one chance to save the town — a dusty old grant that will give Popcorn Falls the money it needs if it will produce a play. (Which the town’s future landlords demand be produced in one week.) The problem? There’s no theatre in Popcorn Falls, there’s never been a play seen there, and just a couple of its very eccentric citizens have ever been involved with anything resembling a play. It’s up to Popcorn Falls’ intrepid mayor and its Head Custodian (“Executive Custodian”) to rally the town and lead its people in a heroic effort to prove that art can save the world. (Or at least a town.)
"On its surface, Popcorn Falls is a funny, silly, ridiculous piece of entertainment — true farce," said Phillips. "But underneath, this is a town of people who have given up dreams and succumbed to the mundane until a threat challenges them to ask 'why not?' Whether it is a pandemic, a natural disaster or a sewage treatment plant, it is in the 'why not?' moments of our lives that we get to discover how necessary dreams are, how well we have each been created to achieve them, and how we together are always able to do what I alone cannot. We discover that in this story; I have discovered it in this process; and, I hope all of us will discover it in our own lives."
New York critics were unanimous in their praise: “laugh out loud comic genius” Broadway World; “wacky, fun filled, absurd” Theatre Pizazz; “haven’t heard laughter this loud in a long, long time” Broadway Radio; “a perfect tonic to restore faith in humanity” New York Stage Review; “A love letter to theatre and putting on a play. Far too much fun to miss” Times Square Chronicle.
"Popcorn Falls is the perfect season opener for our 42nd Season," said Depot Artistic Director Kristy Meanor. "It's going to be great to share the laughs and humanity this show offers to our audiences. With Popcorn Falls opening just a few weeks away, we are also in rehearsal for A Storm Came Up. Opening on February 24, this play is the adaption of Alabama sports journalist, Doug Segrest's powerful novel of the same title. Both of these shows are fall in the category of — don't miss out! We are delighted to share an entire season of plays and musicals that acknowledge and celebrate the power of coming home."
The Wetumpka Depot is located at 300 S Main Street in historic downtown Wetumpka. Tickets are available online at wetumpkadepot.com or by mailing payment of $15 per ticket to WDP, PO Box 1031, Wetumpka, Al 36092. For more information contact kmeanor@wetumpkadepot.com
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Wetumpka Depot presents the off-Broadway comedy Popcorn Falls
